Leilani Kai's WWF Women's Championship Reign

Forty years ago today, on February 18, 1985 Leilani Kai defeated Wendi Richter to capture the WWF World Women's Championship.  Let's take a look at her title matches in that run.  

Leilani Kai trained with the Fabulous Moolah and debuting in 1975.  She rose to prominence in the mid 1980's WWF Rock n' Wrestling era defeating Wendi Richter to capture the WWF Women's World Championship.  She would hold the title for 41 days defending it 13 times with 12 successful defenses.  

February 18, 1985, Madison Square Garden, New York City

The War to Settle The Score - match aired March 2nd on Championship Wrestling

Leilani Kai with The Fabulous Moolah defeated World Women's Champion: Wendi Richter with Cyndi Lauper to win the championship

February 20, 1985 Brantford, Ontario

World Women's Champion: Leilani Kai defeated Wendi Richter

March 2, 1985 WTBS Studios, Atlanta, Georgia

World Women's Champion: Leilani Kai with The Fabulous Moolah pinned Wenona Little Heart

March 2, 1985 Baltimore, Maryland

Wendi Richter defeated World Women's Champion: Leilani Kai by count-out

March 3, 1985 Salisbury, Maryland

World Women's Champion: Leilani Kai defeated Wendi Richter

March 4, 1985 Elmira, New York

World Women's Champion: Leilani Kai defeated Wendi Richter

March 5, 1985 Poughkeepsie, New York

Championship Wrestling TV taping at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center

World Women's Champion: Leilani Kai with The Fabulous Moolah pinned Susan Starr

aired March 23, 1985

March 7, 1985 Warren, New Jersey

World Women's Champion: Leilani Kai wrestled Wendi Richter to a double count-out

March 8, 1985 Highland Heights, Ohio

World Women's Champion: Leilani Kai defeated Wendi Richter

March 9, 1985 Dover, Delaware

World Women's Champion: Leilani Kai defeated Wendi Richter

March 10, 1985 Maple Leaf Garden, Toronto, Ontario Canada

World Women's Champion: Leilani Kai pinned Wendi Richter holding her tights

March 11, 1985 Brantford, Ontario

All Star Wrestling Taping - Aired March 30th

Jesse Ventura & Jack Reynolds interviewed Kai about her upcoming match with Wendi Richter at WrestleMania

March 12, 1985 Tom's River, New Jersey 

World Women's Champion: Leilani Kai defeated Wendi Richter

March 13, 1985 Kalamazoo, Michigan

World Women's Champion: Leilani Kai defeated Wendi Richter

March 31, 1985 Madison Square Garden, New York City

WrestleMania

Wendi Richter with Cindy Lauper pinned World Women's Champion: Leilani Kai with The Fabulous Moolah to win the championship

World Women's Champion: Leilani Kai

Her last match in December 2015 brought to and end her 40 year career.  During that time she captured the All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling All Pacific Championship holding the title for 249 days.  She is also a former NWA Worlds Women's Champion holding the title for 465 days.

  

With her partner Judy Martin, known as The Glamour Girls they are two time WWF and two time NWA Women's World Tag Team Champions.  They held the WWF titles a combined 1,157 days with their first reign a record 906 days. 

I thinks it's very remarkable that Leilani Kai was able to win the championship at the world's most famous arena, a SOLD OUT Madison Square Garden with 26,092 fan in attendance.  

Thank you for reading, please leave a comment, check out my other posts, and if you want like my blogs Facebook page.  You can also head over to Amazon and pick up a copy of my book the 2024 Limitless Wrestling Almanac, or any of my other books.

Until next time! 

Velvet McIntyre's WWF Championship Reign

Velvet McIntyre is best known for her time in the WWF when the promotion began using more women's wrestlers during the 1980's expansion period.  She began wrestling in 1980 after training in Oregon with Sandy Barr.  She joined the WWF in 1982 wrestling in a tag team with Princess Victoria and as a singles wrestler.  Her red hair and trait for wrestling barefoot made her stand out from the other woman competitors.  

In July 1986 on a tour of Australia McIntyre would defeat her long time nemesis The Fabulous Moolah to capture the WWF Women's Championship.  It was a short reign, but nonetheless she is a former WWF Women's World Champion.

July 3, 1986 Festival Hall, Brisbane, Australia

Velvet McIntyre defeated WWF Women's Champion: The Fabulous Moolah to win the championship

July 4, 1986 Entertainment Centre, Sydney, Australia

WWF Women's Champion: Velvet McIntyre defeated The Fabulous Moolah by disqualification

July 5, 1986 Entertainment Centre, Perth, Australia

WWF Women's Champion: Velvet McIntyre defeated The Fabulous Moolah by disqualification

July 6, 1986 Festival Hall, Melbourne, Australia

The Fabulous Moolah defeated WWF Women's Champion: Velvet McIntyre 

July 7, 1986 Apollo Stadium, Adelaide, Australia

WWF Women's Champion: Velvet McIntyre defeated The Fabulous Moolah

July 9, 1986 Homebush Sports Centre, Sydney, Australia

The Fabulous Moolah defeated WWF Women's Champion: Velvet McIntyre to win the championship

The travel for this tour is CRAZY totally 10,368km or 6443 miles.  

Velvet is also a former two time WWF Women's Tag Team Champion, NWA Texas Women's Champion, NWA United States Women's Champion, NWA Women's Tag Team Champion, and held the ICW, WWWA, CWA, & ECCW Women's Championships.

She wrestled at WrestleMania II, the inaugural Survivor Series.  My research on the internet shows he finished up with the WWE in 1988 and wrestled sporadically after that with her final match in the July 1998 for the British Columbia based ICW.  

Thank you for reading, please leave a comment, check out my other posts, and if you want like my blogs Facebook page.  You can also head over to Amazon and pick up a copy of my book Limitless Wrestling: The First Five Years, or any of my other books as well.  

Until next time! 

Rockin' Robin

I'm still on a big 1980's WWF kick as I've been loving the Old School section of the WWE Network.  Most recently I started watching Rockin' Robin vs. Sherri Martel.  There are four matches on the Network including Robin defeating Martel in Paris for the WWF Women's Championship.

I ventured to YouTube next to watch Robin wrestle Madusa Micelli, Debbie Combs, Sue Green, Luna Vachon, and Candi Devine in other promotions with the Vachon match being in Japan.

Robin was trained by Nelson Royal in 1986, debuting in 1987.  She is a second generation wrestler, the son of Grizzly Smith and sibling of Jake "The Snake" Robert, Sam Houston, and former sister-in-law of Baby Doll Nickla Roberts.

Robin won the WWF Women's Championship on October 7, 1988 and is recognized by the WWE as holding the Championship for 501 days until February 21, 1990 when the division was deactivated until December 1993.

Madusa with a german suplex on Robin May 4, 1991

One thing is certain is that Robin was a terrific wrestler!  Every match that I watched was a great match.  She was very aggressive, athletic and very hard hitting.  Her matches with Martel were dynamite!  I realized they wrestled each other nightly for over a year practically but they had chemistry.

I'm very curious what the next adventure from 1980's wrestling I will go on next. 

Thanks for reading, please leave a comment, read my other posts, and like my blogs Facebook page and while you're at it check out my weekly podcast The Wrestling Insomniac on the Nerdy Legion Podcast Network. 

Until next time!

1993 WWF Women's Championship Tournament

***Updated August 21, 2018***

***Updated May 5, 2021***

In December 1993 the WWF announced a tournament would take place to crown a new Women's Champion.  The title had been inactive since February 21, 1990 when then champion Rockin' Robin was stripped of the title.  She hadn't defended it since June 25, 1989 in Wheeling, West Virginia against Judy Martin.

I had heard about this tournament happening for years but all I even knew where the finals where Alundra Blayze defeated Heidi Lee Morgan to win, but who did they beat to get to the finals.

I think most of us know about Madusa aka Alundra Blayze so let's take a look at the other competitors involved in the tournament.

Heidi Lee Morgan

A second generation wrestler Morgan began her in ring career in 1987 and was quickly embroiled in a feud in the National Wrestling Federation with Women's Champion Wendi Richter that resulted in the first ever women's cage match on June 20, 1987.

Morgan would wrestle matches in NWA, AWA, WCW, and was a co-holder of the LPWA Tag Team Championships with Misty Blue Simmes.  A back injury ended her career in 1997 however she did wrestle on match in 1999.  She is currently a competitive bodybuilder.

Black Venus

Jean Kirkland was trained by the Fabulous Moolah debuting in 1985.  She wrestled in the WWE, All Japan Women's Wrestling, NWA, AWA, and later the LPWA from 1990 - 1994.  Rumor is that she was in negotiations to be the manager of Harlem Heat in WCW when she passed away.  Kirkland died September 30, 1995.

Rusty Thomas

Also knows as Rusty Foxx I can't find a lot of information on her but this is what I have.  She debuted in 1988 and wrestled for the WWE, WWWA, and several independent promotions. She held a few indy Women's Championships including National Wrestling League, Mid-Eastern Championship Wrestling and others.

I saw her wrestle live once in Livermore Falls, Maine on November 13, 1998 for Eastern Wrestling Alliance.  She battled Malia Hosaka to a no contest when they both brawled in and out of the ring and the referee threw the match out.

Angie Marino

I cannot find any information about Marino, in fact this is the only match I can find on record for her anywhere on the internet.

Update 5/5/2021 - Angie Marino wrestled under the name "Nasty Angel" Angie Marino, she was trained by "Iron" Mike Sharpe and also credits Misty Blue Simmes for shaping her in wrestling.  She is a former Pennsylvania based World Wide Wrestling Alliance Ladies Champion holding the title in 1996.  I show records of matches she had from 1993 - 1997, with this tournament match being one of her first.  

The Tournament

November 29, 1993 Memphis, Tennessee Mid-South Coliseum
USWA - Tournament Match for the WWF Women's Championship
Madusa defeated Alison Royal

November 30, 1993 Springfield, Massachusetts
Dark Matches - First Round
Heidi Lee Morgan defeated Black Venus
Rusty Thomas defeated Angie Marino

December 1, 1993 Utica, New York
Dark Match - Semi Final
Heidi Lee Morgan defeated Rusty Thomas

December 13, 1993 Poughkeepsie, New York
All American Wrestling taping aired December 26, 1993
Finals
Alundra Blayze defeated Heidi Lee Morgan with a German Suplex to win the championship

Originally it appeared as though the tournament took place over three nights with Blayze getting a bye to the finals of the tournament.  Heidi Lee Morgan had to win two matches on consecutive nights to advance to the finals.  Now it appears that Blayze, under the name Madusa, wrestled and opening round match in the USWA.  That still leaves her either getting a first or sound round bye to the finals. 

It surprises me that four of the five matches were dark matches and even the final wasn't aired live on Raw but instead on the B weekend show All American Wrestling.  You would think if they really wanted to build the division it would have been more prominent. 

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Later Readers!